Bulgaria's centre-right government is stepping up pressure on the judiciary to back its anti-crime drive and jail crime bosses and corrupt officials, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said on Monday.

Tsvetanov, who is also deputy prime minister, has became Bulgaria's most popular politician after police arrested scores of suspected kidnappers, smugglers, car thieves and tax fraud schemers since the government came to power in July.

The government has acted on its pledge to clear Bulgaria's image as the most corrupt European Union country and prosecutors have charged several ministers from the former Socialist-led cabinet with abuse of power and misappropriation.

Indictments and verdicts however are yet to be delivered, and the government has turned its focus on the country's often slow and inefficient judiciary, pushing it to reform and rid itself of graft-prone magistrates.

Failing to jail corrupt officials and organised crime bosses before an EU assessment in July could threaten the Balkan country's access to some of 11 billion euros in EU aid.

The government has drafted a law, which envisions the establishment of a special court for organised crime and corruption to speed up justice, which should become operational as of next year, Tsvetanov said.

He said indictments against members of a powerful organised group arrested earlier this year on suspicions of more than a decade of money laundering and racketeering will be filed in a month's time.

In order to speed up the court trials, the government has amended laws to avoid delays caused by lawyers' absences, as well as allowing suspects to be sentenced based on police wiretapping and anonymous testimony.

The changes, along with the numerous police operations, have raised concerns among critics that the cabinet may be pushing Bulgaria towards a police state, where fear of prosecution paralyses civil servants and suffocates business activity.

Tsvetanov downplayed such worries, saying the cabinet was the first after the fall of Communism 20 years ago to have the political will to crack down on crime and graft but was doing that respecting the laws.

"We have an extremely heavy heritage," he said. "I can assure you that all we are undertaking is only within the legal framework and only to guarantee the security of citizens."